Journal
Failure breakdowns, supply and life under sail — things that help on board.
SafetyMan Overboard: Finding Is Half the Job, Recovery Is the Other HalfWhy the MOB button doesn't save anyone, how much a wet person weighs, how horizontal recovery differs from vertical, and how to test your method before you need it.8 September 2026 · 5 min
Latest
SeamanshipAIS shows less than everyone: what's missing from the screenThe IMO's guidance is direct: the AIS picture of surrounding traffic can be incomplete and inaccurate. Who won't show up on screen, why a target appears before its name, and why you still need to look out the window.12 September 2026 · 4 minSeamanshipDiesel bug: water, biocomponent and clogged filtersA breakdown of a MAIB case: a trawler was stopped by clogged filters and tank contamination. Where the water in the fuel comes from, what FAME has to do with it, and what to do so you don't end up cleaning out the whole tank.12 September 2026 · 4 minSeamanshipThe red button and what comes after it: DSC procedureA DSC distress alert is only half the call. What to press, what to say by voice on channel 16, why you must not switch off the set on a false alert, and how to drill all of it without keying up.12 September 2026 · 4 min
Safety
SafetyCarbon Monoxide Aboard: The Danger Starts at the Dock, Not UnderwayWhere it collects, why slow speed is more dangerous than full throttle, how to tell poisoning from seasickness, and what to do in the first minutes. A review based on investigation reports.7 September 2026 · 6 min
SafetyEmergency steering: finding the tiller isn't enough — you have to fit it once, on the waterWhy a spare tiller in the locker doesn't count as a working steering system, what actually gets in the way of fitting it, and how to run an hour-long check before a passage.7 September 2026 · 5 min
SafetyDistress beacon on the yacht you bought is calling for the previous ownerWhy EPIRBs and PLBs need to be re-registered after a purchase or delivery, how to check who your beacon is registered to, and what rescuers will see if it isn't updated.7 September 2026 · 5 min
SafetyThe Kill Cord: A Thirty-Second Check Before Every OutingHow to check that the kill cord actually stops the engine, where to attach it to yourself, why the cord ages without showing it, and what to hand over with the tiller to another person.7 September 2026 · 5 min
SafetyLithium battery on the tender: where to charge it and how to spot a damaged oneWhy a fire like this can't be put out the usual way, which signs mean "don't charge," where to stow the battery on passage, and how to lay it up for winter.7 September 2026 · 6 minEngine & electrics
Engine & electricsBatteries on board: why a bank dies in a single seasonWhat actually drains batteries, how lead and lithium differ in practice, how much capacity you really need, and how to tell a tired bank from a dead one.6 September 2026 · 6 min
Engine & electricsDiesel won't start: air in the fuel system and how to bleed itWhere the air comes from, why the engine catches and stalls, the bleeding sequence step by step, and what to do if it still won't start after bleeding.6 September 2026 · 6 min
Engine & electricsRaw water pump impeller: why it disintegrates, and what to do when the repair kit is no longer availableThe most common marine engine failure. Symptoms, first response, a DIY replacement, and what to do when the repair kit has been discontinued.6 September 2026 · 8 min
Engine & electricsStern gland and shaft seal: a drip is normal — until it isn'tHow many drops per minute are acceptable, how a stuffing box differs from a dripless seal, how to tighten it, and when it's time to replace rather than adjust.6 September 2026 · 6 min
Engine & electricsEngine overheating: seven causes, in the order to check themFrom a closed seacock to a blown head gasket. The order to check things in, what can be done underway, and when to shut down immediately.2 September 2026 · 5 minHull & deck
Hull & deckRigging before a passage: the twenty-minute walk-around that takes the mast off the risk listWhat to check from deck and what only from aloft, where it actually fails, how to read a broken strand, and when it's time to replace the shrouds outright.6 September 2026 · 6 min
Hull & deckWinterizing a yacht: what to get done before the cold sets in, and what not to doThe system-by-system order of work, three mistakes that cost dearly in spring, and an honest answer on what can wait. For those laying up a boat for the first time.6 September 2026 · 8 min
Hull & deckSeacocks and Through-Hull Fittings: What to Check and When to ReplaceThe one fitting on board whose failure sinks a boat at the dock. How to check it, what a green deposit on bronze means, and why tapered plugs should hang nearby.31 August 2026 · 5 minSeamanship
SeamanshipWho You Left Your Float Plan With AshoreOne sheet of paper that saves rescuers half an hour of questions. What it should contain, who to hand it to, and why it matters on a kayak just as much as on a forty-footer.12 September 2026 · 4 minSeamanshipLifejacket in the locker: why there's no time to put it onMAIB investigation: three on a RIB, none wearing a lifejacket, two dead. What a lifejacket gives you in the water, why wearing it matters more than owning it, and how to choose one you'll actually wear.12 September 2026 · 4 min
SeamanshipCharts age every week: how not to miss a critical correctionWhy a freshly downloaded chart doesn't mean it's up to date, what a critical correction is, how to check your area in fifteen minutes before departure, and how an electronic chart differs from a paper one.8 September 2026 · 4 min
SeamanshipMiddle Sea Race October 17: What to Check a Month Before the StartThe 47th race around Sicily starts on Saturday, October 17, 2026, and preparation is already running against the Offshore Special Regulations 2026–2027 edition. What that changes and in what order to check the boat.8 September 2026 · 4 min
SeamanshipAnchor not holding: why a yacht drags and what actually decides itHow much chain to pay out, why the seabed matters more than the anchor, how to tell you're dragging, and what to do at night when you've dragged and you're closing on a neighbor.6 September 2026 · 6 min
SeamanshipCharts age every week: how not to miss a critical correctionWhy a freshly downloaded chart doesn't mean it's up to date, what a critical correction is, how to check your area in fifteen minutes before departure, and how an electronic chart differs from a paper one.8 September 2026 · 4 minSeamanshipMiddle Sea Race October 17: What to Check a Month Before the StartThe 47th race around Sicily starts on Saturday, October 17, 2026, and preparation is already running against the Offshore Special Regulations 2026–2027 edition. What that changes and in what order to check the boat.8 September 2026 · 4 minSeamanshipAnchor not holding: why a yacht drags and what actually decides itHow much chain to pay out, why the seabed matters more than the anchor, how to tell you're dragging, and what to do at night when you've dragged and you're closing on a neighbor.6 September 2026 · 6 minSupply
SupplyHow to read your marine engine's nameplate — and what you need from it to find a partWhere to find the plate, what's printed on it, how to photograph it, and what to do if the lettering has worn away. Practical guidance for an owner, not for a service manual.5 September 2026 · 5 min
SupplyWhat to carry as spares on board: a season's consumables listWhich parts to keep on the yacht so a breakdown doesn't turn into a week at the dock. A list organized by system, with an explanation of why these particular parts.4 September 2026 · 4 minCrew
CrewYacht Delivery: Who You Need in the Crew, What It Costs, and Where People Get BurnedHow a delivery works, who makes up the crew, what money is involved, and what to check before departure — from the owner's side and from the side of someone joining the crew.3 September 2026 · 5 min
CrewHow to join a crew for a regatta or delivery with little to no experienceWhere people are found, what to write to the captain, what money is considered normal, and how to tell a real offer from a scam. A breakdown for those going for the first time.1 September 2026 · 6 minRules & papers
Rules & papersPolar Code reaches yachts: the 300-tonne threshold and what it changesFrom January 1, 2026, safe navigation and voyage planning requirements extend to pleasure yachts of 300 GT and above. Who is affected, what needs doing before departure, and why gross tonnage is not weight.8 September 2026 · 4 min
Rules & papersWhere a private yacht ends and a commercial vessel beginsThe British Sport or Pleasure Vessel Code has been in force since 12 December 2025. We break down the boundary: under 24 metres, no more than 12 passengers, no cargo — and what changes the moment money changes hands for a trip.8 September 2026 · 4 min